Today I hit 500 miles. I changed the engine oil and filter and drained, flushed and refilled the final drive gear oil. Now mind you, I'm used to a Honda ST1300 that the final drive gear oil comes out dirty on the first couple of changes. But, this gear oil had a lot of metallic sludge and lot's of metallic sludge attached to the drain plug magnet. I will again change everything at 1000 miles and then every 5,000 miles after that.

But that said, can you believe Triumph calls for 10,000 miles for the first engine oil and filter change, along with the final drive gear oil! That's crazy!

My suggestion is to change out that gear oil early until it starts draining clean. But waiting 10,000 miles is just asking for trouble! If I knew it was going to be that fouled up, I would have started the final drive changes at 100 miles.

On the other hand, the engine oil was clean with very little metallic material in the oil.

On another note, I've never seen any M/C manufacturer, or vehicle manufacturer, use steel drain plugs with NO WASHERS on an aluminum final drive housing, or engine crankcase. Triumph does. Mickey Mouse at best.

When I removed the fill and drain plugs on the final drive they were steel with NO washers of any kind. Not Aluminum, Copper, nor crush. Strange. I drove down to the local parts house and located drain plug crush washers for them. Very odd!

Are you sure of that? When I got mine dealer said oil change was due at 500 miles than every 10K after that. I only go 5K between changes.

My dealer did not tell me ****! Except to try and pitch a type of Castrol oil that they said only they carried! I looked at the Triumph owners manual maintenance schedule. It says 10,000 miles for the first oil and filter and final drive change. Stupid if you ask me!

I stand corrected. I received my Triumph shop manual today and looked over the service schedule for oil and filter changes and final gear oil changes. Both the owners manual and the shop repair manual, call for the first engine oil and filter to be replaced at 500 miles. Not 10,000 miles like I thought. After that they both call for a 10,000 mile oil and filter change schedule.

But, on the final drive gear oil change, both call for 20,000 miles for the first gear oil change and 20,000 miles after that. Not 10,000 miles like I thought. That is worse yet!!! I can't believe Triumph would call for a 20,000 mile fluid change interval right from the start! Crazy!

Why not just make it 500 miles like the engine oil and filter? I guess they want the final drive to wear out after the bike goes out of warranty quicker.

I changed the motor oil at the recommended 500 miles first,
to get the break in oil out of it, then change mine about every 5,000
there after.
On the rear differential it's about once every 20,000
and mine only had a few metal flakes attached
to the magnetic drain plug,
and I ride the crap out of mine...
But I do know you can strip the threads when you put the plug back in,
cause it don't take very much to strip aluminum threads.
I think 15 lbs. of torque is recommended..
So with no washer you "want" to tighten it up more, but don't
cause mine hasn't leaked yet, so I'm gonna stay with what
Triumph recommends...

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